Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-01-22
THE VAR UPON THE RAILROADS

1t would appear by the activity among
the anti-railroad elements that a methodi-
cal and determined onslaught is to be made
upon the transcontinental lines that have
financial relations with the Federal Gov
eminent. Such assaults, it is probably ex-
pected, by tending to depreciate securities,
will afford spectators a field for special
activity, and rebound to the interest OF
rival lines that are not included in the list
of roads which, apparently, some one is
seeking to cripple. Such efforts are not
new-they have been made before this.
But it must remain that no new facts will
be developed. In past years the ground
has been travelled over repeatedly. OF
course there can be but one result of all at
tempts of this character, and that is to in
jure the material interests of the whole
country. The transportation business is
too intimately bound up with general
trade and industrial interests for one to
policy would, to the just mind, appear to
be to encourage lines with obliga-
lions to the Federal Government, to
new efforts to their discharge to stimulate
the low rate tendency of commercial COM
petitive laws, instead of attempting that
legal equalization which has invariably
proved delusive and impracticable. The
fact is, as Mr. Poor in his recent admirable
monograph has stated:
Experience has fully shown that in a country
like the United States, where the construction
of railroads is open TO ALL the best results are
secured by leaving such works, as 10 their OPP
erations, TO the control and guidance Of natural
| laws. TO which they are as much amenable as
| are the other enterprises or industries OF the
| country. The great object of ali such organiza-
tons or enterprises is to secure business or pat
| ronage by the excellence and cheapness of the
articles they produce, or OF the services they
are called upon to perform-a stronger motive
| to upright and business-like condueE than can
be supplied from any other source.
Further on the same competent statis-
tician has shown, and fortified the showing
by exhaustive mathematical proofs that:
The surplus products of the interior have
| their markets within a narrow bel, of territory
| lying along the Atlantic sea-board. Wheat viii
not bear transportation over earth roads for dis
tances greater than $50 miles before the cost OF
its carriage equals its value. Indian corn will
| not bear transportation over ordinary highways
for distances greater than $50 miles With rail
| roads, the area, the products OF which can be
sent to market now includes our continent. To
accomplish such result charges had TO be re-
| duced in ratio to the distance over which the
products of the interior had to be transported to
| reach their markets. Such u reduction is as
much matter of justice as of economy: The
necessities of those living far inland
is always 10 be considered otherwise
their products could not be sent 10 market.
They can be considered the relative cost of the
long haul" as ii is termed, being much
less than that of the short haul" An ideal
system of transportation in a country like the
United States would be one by which the pro-
| Queer should suffer no disadvantage on account
of his distance from market-one by which the
wheat growers in Dakota should receive the
same profit on their crop as the growers in the
Genesee valley, Such system is not possible,
but the railroad companies have gone so far in
reducing charges that with their cheaper and
more fertile soil the farmers of Dakota are not,
on the whole, at a disadvantage with the farm
ers in Genesee valley, although the former are